Half of Traffic Deaths in Children and Young People Related to Alcohol; Stronger Laws Reduce Traffic Mortalities

2/13/2017

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Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death among
children and adolescents. A study “Alcohol Policies and Alcohol-Related Motor Vehicle Crash Fatalities Among Young People in the U.S.," published in the
March 2017 Pediatrics (published online Feb. 13), found that state policies
were effective tools in reducing mortality. Researchers looked at 84,756 motor
vehicle fatalities of young people under the age of 21 in the United Stated
between 2000 and 2013. They found 23,757 (28.0 percent) were killed in
accidents where the driver had an alcohol level above the legal limit, and half
died in accidents in which the driver tested positive with any level of alcohol
greater than zero. Researchers found that states with stronger alcohol policies
had fewer deaths. This is the first study to take a comprehensive look at the
total impact of relevant policies and laws in different states, and it suggests
that stronger laws are effective in reducing deaths. Zero tolerance laws, which
prohibit driving after any amount of drinking for individuals 20 years of age
or younger, have been associated with a decrease in death in motor vehicle
crashes by approximately 20 percent. Research also suggests that limiting
late-night driving and passengers for young drivers may also be effective tools
for reducing mortality in motor vehicle crashes. Still, study authors found
that almost half of all young people who died were passengers, and in many
cases, they were driven by an adult. The authors concluded that while there is
strong evidence that stronger policies can reduce motor vehicle deaths of young
people, it is important to not only focus on policies that target young
drivers, but also those that reduce drinking among adults who then go on to
drive young people while under the influence.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 66,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org and follow us on Twitter @AmerAcadPeds.